Day 3: Eng 509/6 at Stumps, Lead by 193 Runs

Alastair Cook played a blinder of an innings to help England take a mammoth 193 runs lead and tighten their grip on the third day of the third Test against India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

NEW DELHI: Alastair Cook played a blinder of an innings to help England take a mammoth 193 runs lead and tighten their grip on the third day of the third Test against India at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. England ended the Day 3 at 509/6 with Matt Prior and Graeme Swann were batting at 40 and 21 respectively. The duo also shared an unbeaten 56-run partnership to take England's lead close to 200-run mark.

England lost their sixth wicket when Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha dismissed Samit Patel on the third day of the third Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Patel played a useful knock of 33 before edging to Virender Sehwag at first slip and added 33-run stand with Matt Prior to take England past 450-run mark.

R Ashwin gave India some relief by trapping Kevin Pietersen plumb in front of the wicket on the third day of the third Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Friday. Ashwin bowled a flighted delivery that spun towards off and middle as Pietersen went down to play a sweep but missed and the struck the pads.

Pietersen hit a six and 9 fours in his 54-run knock that came off 85 balls. Pietersen smashed his 28th half-century to take England first innings lead over the 100-run mark. Ishant Sharma struck in the second over after tea when he had Ian Bell caught behind by Indian captain MS Dhoni. Ishant bowled a length delivery that came in off a length outside the off-stump. Bell went for a shot to the off-side and got an inside edge through to Dhoni who takes a good low catch in front of him.

The third session of the day started with Kevin Pietersen and Bell resuming England first innings. In a bizarre dismissal, England captain Alastair Cook was run out while taking evasive action from a throw by Virat Kohli. Pietersen flicked a Zaheer Khan delivery to square leg and Cook came out of his crease at the non-striker's end.

Kohli fielded the ball and threw it at the non-striker's end as Cook took evasive action as he reached the crease, but his bat was in the air when the ball hit the stumps. Cook hit two sixes and 23 fours in his 190-run knock. Jonathan Trott added 173 runs with captain Alastair Cook before edging a Pragyan Ojha delivery into the hands of MS Dhoni.

Ojha angled the delivery on the off-stump and got it to spin away and the ball took the edge as Trott tried to defend with an angled bat for Dhoni to take the catch. Trott hit 10 fours in his 87-run knock. With their stand, Cook and Trott took England past India's first innings score.

Before lunch, Cook crossed the 150-run mark for the seventh time in his career to take England over 250. Trott struck form as he reached his 13th Test half-century soon after to bring up his 100-run partnership with Cook. The day's play started with Cook and Trott resuming England first innings.

On Day 2, the Indian bowlers were left clueless as they tried everything on a flat deck. Cook's third consecutive century of this series, a stupendous, unbeaten on 136, helped England end Day 2 on a comfortable 216/1.